Prag Mahal

The Prag Mahal is a 19th-century palace located next to the Aina Mahal in Bhuj, Kutch, Gujarat, India.

Prag Mahal is named after Rao Pragmalji II, who commissioned it and construction began in 1865. It was designed by Colonel Henry St Clair Wilkins in what the local tourist office describes as the Italian Gothic style, although it would be better described as a Romanesque architecture twist on the Indo-Saracenic Revival style, and many Italian artisans were involved in its construction. The palace artisans' wages were paid in gold coins. Construction of the palace, which ultimately cost 3.1 million rupees, was completed in 1879 during the regency of Khengarji III (Pragmalji II's son) following Pragmalji II's death in 1875. The local Kutchi builder community (Mistris of Kutch) were also involved in the construction of Prag Mahal along with Colonel Wilkins.

The palace is made of Italian marble and sandstone from Rajasthan.

The main hall, filled with decaying taxidermy Durbar Hall, with broken chandeliers and classical statues Corinthian pillars Jali work depicting European plants and animals It has a 45-foot-high tower with a clock, from which the entire city of Bhuj can be seen.

There is also a small temple in the courtyard behind the palace, featuring intricately carved stonework.

The 2001 Gujarat earthquake severely damaged the palace. In 2006, the palace was burgled, with thieves stealing antiques worth millions of rupees and damaging other items throughout the palace. As of 2007, the palace was in a "ghostly", "forlorn" state. The palace and the tower were later repaired, after Amitabh Bachchan took a personal interest in the restoration of the palace, and its tower and clock have been repaired and are now open to the public. The Darbar Hall of the majestic Pragmahal Palace was renovated by the Maharao Pragmalji-III at a personal cost of Rs 5 crore. Visitors may enter the main palace halls and ascend the bell tower, which offers views of the city.

Scenes from the Bollywood blockbusters Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Lagaan, as well as a number of Gujarati films, were shot in the palace.

Text adapted from “Prag Mahal” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Prag Mahal ranks #5,526 of 8,764 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #181 of the 220 mapped in India. Founded 1879, it is older than 5% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 655 atlas entries founded in the 19th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 1,140 times in the last 60 days, more than 52% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. It is one of the 31 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of Rajasthan. See how India compares in the castle statistics.

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